The + in GSX-S1000GX + means that the bike comes standard with locking , removable hard saddlebags and a centerstand .
by my wife 250 miles from home . ( You can read the full story in our May 2023 issue or on RiderMagazine . com .)
After flying to Vegas for AIMExpo in 2024 , this year I once again made a tour test of the trip , and I repeated my longer route through Death Valley rather than enduring the trucks and traffic on I-15 . Perhaps St . Christopher , the patron saint of travelers , was looking out for me . There were no sandstorms , no sub-freezing temperatures , and no knackered tires .
In Suzuki parlance , the + in GSX- S1000GX + means that the bike comes standard with locking , removable hard saddlebags and a centerstand . Each saddlebag has 25.7 liters of capacity , enough for most full-face helmets . With my gear loaded into the saddlebags and a Nelson-Rigg Traveler Lite Trunk Bag mounted atop the pillion seat and luggage rack , I departed Ventura just as the sun was coming up .
The first couple hours were spent riding in thick fog with tempera-
tures in the mid-40s . The Suzuki has wind-blocking handguards and I was wearing multiple base layers and battery-operated heated gloves , but I was still cold . Heading northbound on California Route 14 , my heart was warmed by the open traffic lanes in my direction , while southbound was a parking lot of headlights as commuters inched their way toward Los Angeles .
The first 90 miles were a long , gradual climb from sea level to 3,209 feet at Soledad Pass , where I entered the Antelope Valley on the western edge of the Mojave Desert . Beyond the pass the fog disappeared , and it warmed up to the low 60s . Freeway slogs are often a necessity to get somewhere fast . Even though I had been on the bike nonstop for over an hour , I was comfortable . Compared to the GSX-S1000GT +, the handlebar on the GX + is 1.7 inches closer to the rider and 1.5 inches taller , and there is an extra 0.6 inch of seat-to-peg distance . Duke wasn ’ t a fan of the stock seat , but I found it serviceable . Suzuki offers a premium seat ($ 399.95 ) with extra padding and a low seat ($ 175 ) that ’ s narrower and reduces seat height from 33.3 inches to 32.7 .
With the cruise control set , I mentally counted down the miles to my first gas stop . On routes I ride regularly , I become a creature of habit , stopping in the same towns at the same gas stations . The crossroads town of Mojave is 125 miles from home , and the ride takes about two hours . The next gas stop is another 60 miles north , so going farther can create range anxiety .
While testing the GSX-S1000GX +, I logged nearly 1,800 miles and averaged
Find a nicely radiused corner , tip the GX + into the turn , and savor the experience , especially the high-pitched wail of exiting while hard on the gas .
RIDERMAGAZINE . COM / APRIL 2025 / 17